What does Psalm 124:1 mean?

The point made in these early verses (Psalm 124:2) must be emphasized, and the people of Israel must acknowledge it. Israel became a true nation when the Lord rescued them from a powerful enemy (Exodus 12:41; Deuteronomy 7:17–18). That included God using flood waters to defeat the oncoming Egyptian army (Exodus 14:28–29). When the people came into Canaan, they were smaller and weaker than their opponents (Deuteronomy 4:37–38; 7:7). Only God's intervention gave them success. Even when the nation was captured by a vast empire (2 Chronicles 36:17–21), God preserved the nation and brought them back to their land (Ezra 2:1).

The apostle Paul also recognized that God is on the side of His people. He points out that this guarantees believers victory, in the end (Romans 8:31). Believers must credit God alone with both their salvation (Jonah 2:9) and their peace (John 14:27; Romans 5:1). He even offers a means to escape every temptation to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). Without His help, we would have no one to carry our most difficult struggles. But the Lord has encouraged believers to come to Him with every concern they have (Philippians 4:6–7).